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The general style inspiration behind most first apartments is practicality. Bold design and unique accents often take second seat to things like budget and function—after all, very few recent grads have the kind of lifestyle that affords a dream apartment right out of the gate. Enter IKEA’s latest: The Förnyad collection, officially launching in the US in early June, was created with student life in mind, but you won’t find boring beiges and cheap materials in the line. Instead, Förnyad is a celebration of design, featuring playful pieces in an array of vibrant hues. It’s basically the coolest “first apartment” starter pack ever.
IKEA teamed up with Sarah Andelman (the creative director of famed Parisian concept store, Colette) and designer Craig Redman for the collection. Fans of Redman’s work will recognize the artist’s signature character, an egg-shaped eyeball named Darcel, as a constant motif throughout the line.
There are larger pieces, like a multicolored sofa perfect for Netflix binges with your roommate, and a cobalt blue table that can be used as both a desk and a dining table in a smaller space. Recent grads who got cookbooks as graduation gifts will likely want to check out the playful dining set and rolling cart—the latter can be used both as extra kitchen storage and as a bar cart for last-minute parties. For those embarking on internships or freelance positions, Förnyad’s office accessories are a must. Spice up your desk area with a set of Darcel-emblazoned box files and colorful notebooks.
Elsewhere, an IKEA staple is getting a face-lift: The Frakta bag has been totally redone in a technicolor print.
“The IKEA bag has become an iconic product, so it’s fun to add my perspective to it,” said Redman in a statement. “I have a bunch of classic blue bags at home [which] I use for unglamorous things like laundry, but with this new print, the bag equally works as an overnight bag or if you just want to look cool lugging stuff across town.”
Whether you’re looking for your first apartment or are well into a few decades of leases, IKEA is tapping into the one thing that unites us all: the need for a stylish laundry bag. Shop the revamped Frakta and the rest of the Förnyad collection online and in-stores on June 1.
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